By Atlantic Reports

Resident doctors at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, have announced a three-day warning strike over a prolonged electricity crisis in the College of Medicine axis, where the association says most of its members reside.

The strike is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, October 12, according to a communiqué issued after an Emergency General Meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), UCH.

The communiqué, signed by the association’s President, Dr Uthman Adedeji, and General Secretary, Dr Mary Awodiji, also announced a seven-day ultimatum ending at 8 a.m. on Monday, October 19.

The doctors said they would reconvene after the deadline and could proceed to an indefinite strike if their demands remained unmet. An indefinite strike has not yet been declared.

Doctors Describe Months Without Reliable Power

The association said repeated engagements with relevant stakeholders had failed to resolve the electricity problems affecting the residential area.

According to its account, the situation worsened in January when a circuit breaker supplying the main hospital complex developed a fault. The association alleged that the breaker serving the College of Medicine area was reassigned to keep the hospital running, leaving residents without electricity.

ARD-UCH said an ultimatum issued at its August meeting led to the purchase and installation of a replacement breaker on September 10, restoring supply.

However, it said another major electrical fault on September 20 resulted in the replacement breaker being removed from the area again.

These claims represent the association’s account. The supplied material did not include a response from UCH management or the University of Ibadan’s College of Medicine.

Water Shortages Compound Hardship

The doctors said the power failure had also caused persistent water shortages, forcing residents to obtain water from private business centres and places of worship within the hospital premises.

They described the conditions as a threat to welfare, sanitation and security, and accused the institutions involved of failing to act with sufficient urgency.

“The people are being made to suffer inter-institutional bottlenecks between the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, and its landlord, the UCH Management,” the communiqué stated.

The association said members had continued working despite the hardship but could no longer sustain that restraint without concrete action.

Restoration and Backup Repairs Demanded

ARD-UCH demanded immediate restoration of electricity to the College of Medicine area, urgent repairs to faulty circuit breakers for backup use, and uninterrupted supply across the hospital.

It also said residential power outages lasting more than five days would be unacceptable going forward and could trigger further industrial action.

The planned strike raises concerns about disruption to patient care. However, the communiqué did not specify which clinical services would be affected or whether emergency cover would be maintained.

The association said it would pursue legitimate advocacy, including media engagement, while pressing management to resolve the crisis.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.